A new hit Chinese drama explores the pressures faced by young women

By R.M.L.

BY THE time Chinese women turn 30, they are supposed to have dismissed their youthful fancies and passions in favour of a stable domestic life. At this age, many parents hope that their daughters will have secure jobs, be dutifully wed and the mother of at least one child. This expectation was partially established by Confucius, who said that “at 30, one must stand firm”, and the proverb is often cited by elder family members when reminding youngsters to get their personal arrangements in order.

“Nothing But Thirty”, a new Chinese drama airing on Dragon Television, encourages viewers to think differently. It follows three friends living in Shanghai whose lives are all far from perfect as they enter their fourth decade. Gu Jia is married to a successful man, lives in a beautiful apartment and has a loving young son, yet she struggles to find her place in the upper echelons of society. Zhong Xiaoqin has a mindless but steady office job and is married to the only man she has ever dated, whom her parents love. An unexpected pregnancy and sudden miscarriage magnify the flaws in her marriage and lead to a heated divorce—an event that she hides from her family for as long as she can.